EU Biowaste Directive
The Biowaste Directive is no longer being moved forward (June 2005), we understand. It is most likely that the requirements of the Directive will be promoted through other legislative instruments.
What was the idea behind the Biowaste Directive?
The European Commission's Mandate in 2004 read:
"By the end of 2004 a directive on compost and other biowaste will be prepared with the aim to control potential contamination and to encourage the use of certified compost."
The intention was that the Biowaste Directive would encourage the recycling of food waste to agricultural land to improve the organic quality of soil and its macro and micro-nutrients. If this directive is implemented, local authorities will be forced to adopt separate collection schemes for food waste.
The Directive on Biowaste was to be issued, according to a mandate included in the EC Communication on the Soil Strategy.
Again the idea was that mandate would be to balance:-
- the need to set quality standards for composted products in order to ensure safe long-term beneficial application, prevent any damage to the soil resource and preserve soil properties, with particular reference to croplands;
- against the importance to boost recovery of organic matter in order to fulfil the various goals stressed by the Communication on the Soil Strategy itself (fight against erosion and desertification, improved use of soils as a "sink" of carbon, enhancement of biological fertility and biodiversity, etc.)
The ideas behind the EU Biowaste Directive were positive for composting and were based on good intentions. The Directive would have provided further drivers to increase the use of composting, (both aerobic and anaerobic), and the quality of compost products produced.
We will endeavour to report on any changes to the above if they occur.
Further reading on biowaste and climate change can be found at:
www.number-10.gov.uk/su/waste/report/downloads/ah.pdf
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